Vehicle-spring



(No Model) H. B. DYE.

VEHICLE SPRING.

. Patented Apr. 14, 1 885..

' ATIOHNEY UNITED STATES HENRY BAXTER DYE, OF MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.315,921, dated April 14, 1885.

Application filed August 1, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BAXTER DYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marquette, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elliptic Springs and Half-Elliptic Springs for all kinds of Vehicles, including Passenger-Cars and Railroad- Lceomotives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention v has for its object to improve the construction of elliptic springs and half elliptic springs, commonly called platformsprings, composed of metal leaves or plates of unequal lengths and of requisite taper, for all kinds of vehicles.

Various devices have heretofore been resorted to to secure the leaves of elliptic springs in such a manner as to prevent lateral motion, and that each leaf or plate shall always be held in such position as to sustain its due proportion of the weight cast upon the spring and at the same time be free to slide laterally each way from the center, and thus preserve the requisite elasticity of the spring.

The tendency of the ends of the leaves or plates under pressure to slide out'of place laterally on the passage of the vehicle over rough and uneven roadways has long been recognized as one of the fruitful sources of breakage in springs. To overcome this defect in construction is one of the principal objects of my improvement.

My invention consists in constructing the spring from plates formed from steel bars. Each leaf, except the longest pair, is tapered at the ends in the usual manner,and has agroove or recess of uniform depth along the center upon one side, and a corresponding rib on the other side running from end to end, so that when the leaves are placed in position in the spring one above the other the ribs fit accurately into the grooves throughout, and the flat sides of the leaves or plates come closely in contact, leaving no space either between the ribs and grooves or between the leaves or plates, and the grooves and ribs always remain the same size, whether the spring is flexed or otherwise. The steel bars for springs are manufactured expressly for that purpose, of any required width and thickness, and having the uniform groove on one side and the corresponding rib on the other, as already described. Ihe peculiar form of these bars of steel is the subject-matter of another application for patent by me.

In bringing the ends of the leaves or plates from these bars to the requisite taper to perfect the elasticity of the spring, care is taken to preservethe groove and rib of uniform depth and size by the use of a proper tool or die for that purpose when the taper is worked by hand, or by suitable rollers when machinery is used.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to make springs of sheet metal having longitudinal ribs or corrugations, and also to make the leaves of concavo-convex form in cross-sections. In such springs the ribs have been higher and broader at the central part of the leaf, and gradually tapering and vanishing toward the ends, the metal being of uniform thickness and the vanishing ribs intended to have the effect produced by thinning or tapering the leaves toward the ends, as in ordinary elliptic springs.

In my spring the central ribs and grooves are of uniform size throughout the length of the leaves, and the leaves tapered from the center toward the ends, as in common elliptic springs.

In my improvement, as already explained, I make the grooves and ribs of uniform depth and size from end to end of the leaves, so that the ribs and grooves fit accurately and the flat sides of the leaves come in close contact, leaving no space between either when the spring is under pressure or otherwise, the ribs and grooves preventing lateral motion between the leaves or plates, while at the same time the leaves are free for any longitudinal motion, as already explained.

Fig. 1 in the accompanying drawings repre sents a section of my improved spring for the lighter kinds of vehicles. Like letters refer to like parts. Fig. 2 shows the combination one side and a corresponding groove on the for heavier vehicles, as locomotives, passenother side, such rib and groove being of unige'r-coa'ches, 8tc. form size and depth throughout the length of A A is the rib running along the side of the the leaf, substantially as described. 1 5 leaf; B B, the corresponding groove or recess. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in Having fully described my invention, what presence of two witnesses. I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters HENRY BAXTER DYE Patent, is

An elliptic spring composed of two or more W'itnesses: IO leaves, each leaf being tapered toward the L. M. PACKARD,

ends and provided with a longitudinal rib on B. W. WRIGHT. 

